Refrigerator-latch.



No. 888,364. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

G. STOTZ.

REFRIGERATOR LATCH.

APPLIOATION IILED AUG. 31. 1906.

MIN V -1 I r: a" I WHI W ZV/lTNEESEE: ,INV NTEJR f M? BY I MWL 8 MM:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIAN STOTZ, OI BELLEVUE, OHIO.

REFBIGERA No. 888,364. Specification of Application filed August 31,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Cnms'riixN S'ro'rz, citi zen of the United States, residing at Bellevue, in the county of lluron and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RefrigeratorLatches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to latches or locks for doors and refers especially to locks for refrigerator and cold storage doors.

The objects of my invention are to provide a powerful and el'licient locking device for insuring the complete closure of the door to which it is applied; to enable the closure to be made rapidly and easily; to provide means for operating the lock with equal facility from either side of the door; to furnish a mechanical appliance for the purpose named that will enable the operator to exert as much force to open the door as to close it; to so design the mechanism that the device can be readily adjusted to doors of diflerent thicknesses; to enable the lock to be adjusted without removal to compensate for the shrinking or swelling of the door; to produce a lock so designed as to prevent undue wear and thus render it durable, and to provide a device having few parts making it less liable to get out of order and enabling it to be economically manufactured.

While I have shown my improved lock as ap lied to a door of the refrigerator type it wi l be evident that it can be applied with equal facility and elliciency to doors, lids and covers of compartments and receptacles used for various urposes, and I do not, therefore, wish to be imited to the precise application shown and described.

I accomplish the above objects by the use of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a view of a portion of a refrigerator door with my im roved locking device attached thereto; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of Fig. 1 taken on a horizontal plane, slightly modified; Figs. 3 and 4 are plan and sectional views, respectively, of a modified form of the cam-plate, and Fig. 5 is a side view of the locking lever.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 6 indicates a refrigerator door which is adapted to fit closely the jainb 7. A locking lever 8 is secured to the door by a bolt 9, which passes entirely through the said door and is furnished with threads 10 which engage TOR-LATCH.

Letters Patent.

1906. Serial No. 332,859.

threads 10 cut in the lever head, thus providing means for adjustment. A pin 11 prevents the lever from turning upon the bolt when once properly adjusted. A rose plate 12 cut away at 12 to clear the jamb when the door is swung, is interposed between the head of the lever S and the face of the door and is provided with a circular recess or socket to receive the cylindrical portion 13 of the lever head, which turns therein and is thus kept in alineme'nt with the parts upon the opposite side of the door hereinafter described. The head of the locking lever is provided with a flange 14, preferably helical in form. Upon the inside of the door is an operating lever 15, having a head 15 provided with an angular hole to receive the end 16 of the bolt 9 which is squared to prevent turning of the lever thereon, the latter being secured by a nut 17. A rose-plate 18 is interposed between the head of the lever 15 and the door, and is provided with a recess which receives the part 18 in the same manner and for the same purpose as hereinbefore described in reference to the rose-plate 12 and the part 13 of the lever 8. A cam-plate 19 is secured to the outer face of the casing 7 and is provided with a notch or groove 20 adapted to be engaged by the cam-flange 1d of the lever S.

In cases where the construction of the refrigerator or the location of the door will not permit of the use of the form of camplate shown, as, for instance, when the amb is deeper than the door, the modified form of cam-plate 2]. shown in Figs. 3, and 4, may be employed, the groove 22 being made to conform to the shape of the cam 14, so as to properly cooperate therewith. The pin 11 may be removed and the lever S be turned upon the bolt 9 so as to give a fine or coarse adjustment as desired, when the pin is replaced. The surfaces which have frictional contact are so constructed that the wear is reduced to a minimum, and the device rendered durable.

To close the door the lovers are carried to a vertical position so that the cam will clear the jamb. The door is then swung to until the parts are in proper relation for the cam to engage its groove. Depression of the levers will then cause the cam to act to force the door powerfully against its seat. A reversal of the lever movement will cause an equally powerful action of the cam to Patented May 19, 1908.

force the door open, Which is of especial 15 threaded connection, bearing plates adapted to be attached to opposite sides of a door and provided With sockets adapted to receive said circular faces, a helical cam projection formed upon the head of one of said levers, and a cam plate adapted to be fixed to the door janib, said plate having a helical groove formed therein and adapted to be engaged by said cam projection.

In testimony Whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHRISTIAN STOTZ.

Witnesses:

J. P. VIGKERY, R. R. PARKHURST. 

